Spiced Duck Breast

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With spices freshly ground in a mortar and pestle and the rich, gamey taste of duck, this recipe brings back the Medieval days of jousting tournaments and wandering minstrels. If you’ve never eaten duck before, it tastes almost like the dark meat of a chicken leg, but even more flavorful – served over mushrooms, leeks, and butternut squash, it’s a dinner fit for a king. If you’re not a fan of butternut, you could use kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) instead; they both work fabulously.

The fat in the duck is one of the keys to this recipe’s depth of flavor. Duck fat is quite healthy (about 35% saturated, 52% monounsaturated, and only 13% PUFA ), and even a small amount of meat will produce some of this “liquid gold.” Don’t throw it out – save it to make confit or add that finger-licking duck fat taste to any kind of roast vegetables.

The other feature of this dish is, of course, the spices. Star anise is a traditional ingredient in all kinds of Asian duck recipes; it adds a powerful note of licorice to the dish and complements the richness of the meat. One star doesn’t look like much, but resist the urge to add more: the flavor of anise is very strong, and it’s easy to overdo it.

To get the richest taste from the duck, it really is better to marinate it at least 1-2 hours before cooking. If you’re in a hurry, you can skip this step but you will lose some of the flavor. When you’re cooking the breasts, treat them like any red meat, and cook to your taste. The recipe gives directions for medium-rare; if you like your duck still quacking, shave a few minutes off the roasting time, and if you like it well done, add a few.